Jones, Anya

Our work focuses on the unsteady, three-dimensional, and separated flows found on wind/water turbines, flapping wings, and rotorcraft. We perform experiments in water tanks and wind tunnels to better understand the flow-physics of rotating blades and the effect of unsteadiness (i.e., blade motion or wind gusts) and flow separation on lift, drag, pitching moment, and overall efficiency. We are also interested in how vortical flows (e.g., turbine wakes) mobilize and transport sediment, and the resulting local environmental impact of turbine installations.